Ski rigging for aircraft



Mmh 30,1943. H. A. SIMPSON m. 3,315,098

SKI RIGGING FOP. AIRCRAFT Filed March 14, 1942 Patented Mar. 30, 1943 Larsen, Jenkintown, Pa., assignors to Machine and Tool Designing Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application March 14; 1942, Serial No. 434,692

sclaims. (01. 244-102) inmates under the act of March a, 1883, as

amended Apr-11 30, 1923; 370 0. o. 757) The invention covered herein may be manu factured by or for the Government, of the United States of America, for governmental purposes,-

without payment of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to ski-rigging for aircraft. The object is to provide a ski-rigging which shall operate synchronously wheel-rigging.

with the "I'he telescoping element or at its lower end in pivotal vrelationship'withthe bearing l0, and at its upper end to the fixed sup- The object is also to'provide means wheretnr} the ski, when moved from the down or operative position to the up or inoperative position, shallif also be retracted during its upward movement, so

that the forward end of the ski shall clear-operative elements of the craft. a

That is to say, when the ski is moved upwardly it is simultaneously moved rearwardly,;.and when moved downwardly into operative position the ski is also moved forwardly into original operative or running position.

. These compound movements, of upwardly and rearwardly, and downwardly and forwardly, are

I porting pivot H. j H I These elements, all form part of the conven tional retracting type wheel landing .gean,

wheel-riggingtoj'fthe qijw J as at 28. The left hand-glen The parts shown in heavy black lines, indicate the important parts oftheski-rigging which are connected-to the wheeLrigg'ingiorsynchronous actuation. r

I The elements is connected to the element other end, the rod orstrutlliis'pivota11y ecui'ef as at 23, to the rodor struti th ewerendoi -which is secured to the re'a v a as at Another lOdKJf-EQlfil'll-h, I, which is .iointed as at pivot 28) is ,c-onnectedat its upper end to the-fixed supporting pivot lT'and at its lower end to the rod or strut-24, as at 11, which secured by supplemental rigging elements atv tached to and operating with the wheel-rigging oi well-known type.

The reason for this arrangement is that, in its operating or down position, its forward end should project about 85% of its length in advance of the axis of the wheel, and that in its upward movement to inoperative position its forward end should be retracted sufliciently to clear an operative part of the craft, such as the propeller.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates merely by way of example, suitable means for.

the embodiment of our invention; 1 I Fig. 1 is an elevation, showing part of the erating with the wheel-rigging. In this arrange ment the ski is shown in the down r operative position.

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the ski in" the u or inoperative position.

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail of a resilient support Similar numerals refer to similar parts {i for the rear end of the ski.

through the several views.

In these figures it will be noted, mar ne bear ing I0 is in supporting engagement with the axle of wheel II. This bearing and its axle II is connected to the lower telescoping end of element II, which is also included in the shock-absorber. This element I2 is pivotally secured at its upper end, as at l3, to the lower end of element H; the upper end of which is secured to the fixed supporting pivot I 5.

is intermediate the two ends ofstrut 24.

In Fig. 1,-as above stated, the wheel II and ski I! are shown in down or; operative position. In "such position thejforwardiend-joftheski projects about 6 of1the ski ngtiiierward of the, axis wheel-rigging, and showing diagrammatically elementsv of the ski-rigging connected to and one n wm n; w d-m of the wheel I lsapproximately the position of the ski for norm'al n ver: In thisposition it will benoted that the forward end'of the ski projects beyond the verticalline of the propeller 30 as shown in" Fig. .3. In order therefore to permit the lifting of: the ski, without collision of the ski withthe propellenflgit isinecessaryto retract the ski rearward during alts 'npwa'rdimovement so as to clearthe-prop'eller whilein-the downward is to provide a forward "position when the skiislowered." 1 Eor exampler; In FigLII- the rigging is shown "with the ski indown-andrunning position. By

moving the pivots ;l 3 and- 2 8to the lettto-position shown in Fig. 2, the Wheeland sklare shown 7 elevated, and the {ski retracted toclear the propellerllasindicaited. By moving-the pivots II j and 28 to the right the wheel and ski are carried downwardlyto operative position, and at the same time .the ski is moved to the forward position as'shown in Fig. 1. These pivots l3 and 28 are adapted to be actuated by the usual hydraulic or mechanical control linkage of the wheel gear and retracting device.

' Fig. 3 shows a resilient strut or similandevice for controlling the rigging or trimming of the ski to conform to the level of the surface upon which tioning the major portions of said ski in advance of the landing wheel axes when the same are extended, for landing on said ski, and ior retracting verticaliline passing through said wheel axes when the said ski is retracted.

V 2. In a device of the class described, the combinationwith a skirfor' aircraft having landing 15, the major portions of said ski rearwardly of a wheels and rigging therefor, of a ski-rigging comprising linkage means adapted to connect said ski and said aircraft including means for positioning the major portions of said ski in advance of the landing wheel axes when the same are extended, ,for landing on said ski; said positioning means being retractable to move the major portions of said ski rearwardly of a vertical line passing through said wheel axes when the said ski is retracted, said linkage means further including spring controlled strut elements, said element having means connecting the same to the rear end of the ski to thereby permit said ski,

when in advanced position, to conform to the" surface over which it travels.

3. The device defined in claim 2, and including means ior'communicating movement from the wheel rigging to the v ski-rigging.

HENRY A. SIMPSON. AGNEW E. LARSEN. 

